Kochi, Sep 8: Scientists at the ICAR-Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute (CMFRI) have developed a new smartphone application that can measure the length and width of fish without physically handling them.
Named MatsyaMetri, the app uses a smartphone camera and augmented reality technology to measure fish and automatically record the data. It is designed to make fish data collection faster and easier for scientists and field survey teams.
The app can record measurements of several fish during a single sampling session and generate length-frequency data. This information is useful for studying fish populations, assessing fish stocks and monitoring aquatic resources.
MatsyaMetri also stores photographs and measurement details, which can later be exported for further scientific analysis. This reduces the need for researchers to maintain separate manual records.
The application was developed by CMFRI Senior Scientist and ICAR-National Fellow Dr Eldho Varghese. CMFRI Director Dr Grinson George said the technology can simplify biological data collection during field surveys and help researchers generate fisheries data in a more systematic manner.
The app works on Android smartphones that support ARCore technology. Researchers can use the phone’s camera and an on-screen measuring guide to capture the dimensions of fish.
The technology is expected to reduce the time and manual effort involved in fisheries surveys while helping researchers collect more consistent data. It could also support faster and more efficient fish stock assessment and resource management.
MatsyaMetri was developed under an ICAR National Fellow Project focused on automated measurement of aquatic resources and the generation of standardised data for fisheries research.